Four obstacles to transformation (3)

The Barna Group surveys religious belief and opinions in an American context. George Barna has identified four significant obstacles to spiritual transformation for self-identified Christians in the United States.

The obstacles to transformation are

1. Commitment

2. Repentance

3. Activity

4. Spiritual Community

Obstacle 3: Activity

• Tens of millions have confused religious activity with spiritual significance and depth



• Four out of ten have participated in a combination of three “normal” religious activities in the past week (i.e., attending church services, praying, reading the Bible).



• Far fewer have engaged in deeper faith expressions:






• less than one out of ten have talked about their faith with a non-Christian



• fasted for religious purposes



• had an extended time of spiritual reflection during the past week



• spiritual disciplines – including solitude, sacrifice, acts of service, silence, and scriptural meditation – are infrequently practiced

Next obstacle: Community

Related links

1. Self-Described Christians Dominate America but Wrestle with Four Aspects of Spiritual Depth

2. Obstacles to spiritual transformation - commitment

3. Obstacles to spiritual transformation - repentance

4. A Biblical Worldview Has a Radical Effect on a Person's Life

5. Six trends emerging for 2011

6. Are we becoming Biblically illiterate?

7. How do we keep our spiritual fervour?